Empower Brands Names New President

Empower Brands, franchisor of premium multi-brand commercial and residential home services, has appointed franchise operations expert Thomas Welter as group president of Residential Services. Welter, who was previously COO of Lift Brands, replaces Scott Zide who recently transitioned to CEO of Empower Brands. 

Welter’s addition to the team follows the recent announcement of the company’s rebrand which united the world-class organizations formerly known as Lynx Franchising and Outdoor Living Brands to form Empower Brands. The launch of Empower Brands’ new namesake came amid rapid growth experienced across its portfolio which contributed to the company surpassing $1 billion in combined system sales this year alone. 

“With more than 30 years of leadership experience in franchise operations, Tom is poised to further accelerate our growth as we continue into this new chapter as Empower Brands,” says Scott Zide, CEO of Empower Brands. “He has a reputation for building and growing some of the most successful organizations in the franchising space, and has deep experience with team development and strategy management. We can’t wait to see how he elevates our expanding business.” 

Experienced with creating operational breakthroughs in high potential organizations, Welter’s expertise is grounded in revenue expansion and culture framework. He’s exceptional at piecing segments of opportunity together while building the talent behind the brand to drive exponential unit growth and financial returns. In his new role, Welter will oversee the operations, support teams, culture and strategic direction of Empower’s residential service brands: Archadeck Outdoor Living, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, Conserva Irrigation and Superior Fence & Rail.  

“The organization’s ‘Franchisee First’ mindset is really what initially drew me to Empower Brands,” says Welter. “Our franchisees are the foundation of Empower Brands, and my goal is to champion their success. I plan on unleashing our team's potential while continuing to cultivate our brand’s differentiating culture.” 

Welter holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska where he graduated with honors as a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American. He is a member of the National Football League (NFL) Alumni, participating nationally in their mission of, “Caring for Kids”. During his tenure as Chief Operating Officer at Lift Brands, Welter prioritized franchisee success as he led global operations of wellness brands: SNAP Fitness, Fitness on Demand, 9Round and Yoga Fit Worldwide. Prior to that role, Welter led business operations for the foodservice division of Pepsico/YUM Brands, where he led 125 corporate-owned and 325 franchised Taco Bell restaurants to collective revenues exceeding $500M.